Popcorn Park Helps Broken Beak and His Family

To many people in Ocean County, this male swan was known as “Broken Beak” after he had been struck by a speeding personal watercraft a few years ago. After some complaints that the swan was endangering these watercraft people, Berkeley Township made a decision to capture the male and separate him from his mate and two young cygnets.

He was brought to an old cranberry reservoir in Chatsworth, Burlington County. Residents demanded that Broken Beak be returned to the area and his family. Several reports had inaccurate locations of where to find the missing male but through the cooperation of the N J Conservation Foundation, who owns the area in Chatsworth, they caught Broken Beak and alerted Popcorn Park General Manager, John Bergmann.

John took Broken Beak back to Popcorn Park until they could find Mom and her babies. Once the family was located, and through the efforts of Lacey Township Mayor Dave Most and negotiating with Berkeley Township, the family was reunited on the Lacey Township side of Cedar Creek. In order to prevent further incidents of harassment by boaters or by the swans, leaflets were to be printed up to better educate boaters and watercraft users, and signs would be placed to have more no-wake buoys.

Said John Bergmann: “When you see this come together, it is all worth it” as the swan family paddled off into the sunset.